The Magic Money Tree of Wrocƚaw

Wednesday, 17th April 1985

Despite last night's excitement and the fact that we'd spent the previous night attempting to sleep on a twelve-hour overnight train journey, we were up and about this morning early enough to catch the 06.36 train from Gliwice station.

This took us to Polanica Zdrój, just one of a number of obscure Silesian settlements with increasingly unpronounceable names we encountered that day. Bob records that the tickets we held for that journey were from Kȩdzierzyn Koẑle to Kudowa Zdrój, which meant that we had no ticket to cover us for the first part of the journey (whyever not?) and paid for a section at the end of the line that we never visited!  This seemed to happen quite a lot in Poland and we can only put in down to  slapdash ticket issuing by PKP staff, a shortage of the correct tickets leading to the next best fit being used instead or the fact that the bookimg clerks couldn't understand a word of what we were saying!

Bob kept his ticket and here it is:

By Kȩdzierzyn Koẑle (at 07.42) we had caught up with our planned itinerary, albeit running 24-hours late. We were headed for Kłodzko, itself a noted centre of steam operation and then along the branch line to Kudowa Zdrój.  Despite having tickets to the end of the branch, we only went as far as Polanica Zdrój, where we spent the best part of an hour on and around the station. Trains on the branch were operated by large Tkt48 tank engines.

Polanica Zdrój. The train we either arrived or left on.

According to the Plan, we knew this train was due so we walked a short distance from the station for photographs

Then it was back to Kłodzko.  The Plan called for a stay of about four hours here and speculated that we might be able to arrange a visit to the loco shed. That doesn't seem to have happened, but we did see quite a lot of steam during our stay.

Another Tkt48 tank loco, this time at  Kłodzko.

One of Mark's photos. I can't be certain it's at  Kłodzko, but it's a good photo so I've put in here.

The Wrocław Express we caught at  Kłodzko. 

Eventually, we tore ourselves away and left on the steam-hauled express to Wrocław, where we planned to spend the night.

It was rush hour when we arrived at Wrocław

We didn't anticpate any difficulty in finding accommodation in such a large city and indeed there seemed to be plenty of hotels. With none of the party speaking Polish, Bob and I took turns at asking for a room in German, only to be told (in Polish) that they were all full. 

The Hotel Monopol in 1985

At the Hotel Monopol, which looked a bit bigger and posher than the sort of place we would normally stay, it was my turn but instead of German I asked in English.  I don't know if it made the difference, but yes!  of course they had a room!  We realised later that this part of Poland had been German before the Second World War, after which much of the original population left to be replaced by people from other parts of Poland. Wrocław itself was previously known as Breslau. Some animosity evidently remained.

The Hotel Monopol today (on Street View)

Having settled in we set off on the usual quest for food and beer. The Hotel Monopol was a bit too posh for our tastes, but we were having difficulty finding anywhere else. A passser-by heard us speaking English as we discussed options and asked if we wanted to change money. We had changed £21 into złotys to pay the hotel bill (I said it was posh!) but realised that we would need more for food and beer and also for train fares and more food and drink on our final day in Poland tomorrow. We offered £10 and, not really understanding the rules of barter, took what we were given. Someone thought it would be good idea to ask our new friend where he would recommend for a beer. There was no doubt in his mind - "The Hotel Monopol" obviously!

Next morning, after a full evening's partying in the hotel's expensive restaurant and bar and having paid for our breakfasts we thought it would be a good idea to count up how much Polish money we had left to cover our last day in the country.  We had about 1800 złotys which at the exchange rate we'd had at the hotel on arrival worked out at £11 - one pound more  than we'd given the money-changer!

I'm still not sure I completetly understand what happened!